


Rats are Mammals and Professors Glare

by amtrak12



Series: Operation More Toltzmann [3]
Category: Ghostbusters (2016)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-14
Updated: 2016-08-14
Packaged: 2018-08-08 15:14:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7762762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amtrak12/pseuds/amtrak12
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Please stop petting the test subjects."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rats are Mammals and Professors Glare

Patty followed the others through the college biology lab. A professor from the building was explaining where the floating entities had been spotted and which expensive equipment to avoid destroying if at all possible. Patty really hoped the ghosts were willing to cooperate with that last bit, because as many improvements as Holtzmann had made to the equipment, honing in on a flying ghost still required the team to aim properly.

If only ghosts came tagged with homing beacons that Holtzmann could lock onto. That would be nice -- Ooo. Cages with rats. That's gross. Still from what Holtz had been chattering on about during the drive over, it could be worse. Could be fetal pigs floating in buckets -- now that was nasty.

"Uhmmhmm," the professor cleared her throat and looked pointedly at something behind Patty. "Please stop petting the test subjects."

Patty turned around and saw Holtzmann holding a rat she must have fished out of one of the cages.

"Holtzy," she muttered.

Holtzmann grinned at the professor. "Sorry. It's soft."

"Yes, but we need those for a pupil response lab tomorrow, so if you don't mind?" The professor gestured with her hand, and Holtzmann complied by putting the rat back in its cage.

"Thank you." The professor turned and continued explaining to Abby and Erin about some lights that kept flickering even after replacing the bulbs.

They walked through the back doorway of the lab, and Patty was about to follow after them when Holtzmann whispered behind her.

"Hey. Patty."

Patty stopped and looked. "What is it?"

Holtzmann was still sporting that grin. "I've got another one in my pocket."

"Another what?" Holtzmann pulled a second rat out of her jumpsuit. "What? Holtzy! You can't steal a school's rat."

"I didn't. This one climbed out of the cage on its own."

Patty shook her head. "Oh, and I guess it just got into your pocket on its own too."

Holtz's eyes lit up. "Yeah, it did. I'm waiting to see if it's smart enough to finish out its escape plan."

"No, we ain't doing that. We gotta put it back."

"Fiiine," Holtzmann groaned. She allowed Patty to take the rat from her. Patty cringed again as she wrapped her hands around the creature.

 _I can't believe I'm holding a rat right now. I didn't even get near rats in the MTA._ The rat squirmed as she tried to locate the empty cage it had come from. She pulled it close to her chest so it wouldn't tumble to the floor. The rat nuzzled its face into the crook of her elbow. It was... not as disgusting as Patty had first thought it to be.

"You know, this thing's kinda warm," she said. "I thought it'd be all scaly."

"That's because it's a mammal," Holtzmann said. "Warm-blooded. Covered in fur."

"Yeah, I know what a mammal is." Patty finally located the empty cage, but she didn't move to put the rat inside. Instead, she found herself stroking her finger across the creature's little head.

"Huh. You're a lot cuter than them subway rats, you know that?"

"Yeah, subway rats are mean. Lab rats are bred to be smart. It makes them cuter." Holtzmann stooped down to be eye level with the rat and reached out to pet it too.

They must have stood there too long cuddling with the rat, because suddenly there was footsteps and a sharp, "Ladies!" coming from behind them.

Patty jumped and both and her and Holtz looked over at that back door. The professor had returned and was glaring at them with her hands on her hips.

"I said leave the rats alone."

"Uh yeah, you did," Patty said. "That's our bad." She shot out a quick "Holtzy!" because Holtzmann looked ready to bolt and leave her to clean up this mess herself. She made Holtzmann open the cage for her and together they got the rat back in the cage.

As soon as the cage was shut, Holtzmann shrugged at the rat and said, "Sorry buddy." Then, she did indeed make a beeline for the lab door.

"Abby," she called out like Abby was going to get her out of trouble. "Abby." She disappeared out the door -- 

\-- and left Patty dealing with the brunt of this professor's wrath. Great.

"Again, we're sorry," she said, trying to casually slip by the professor. "Real sorry about all of this. Sorry." 

She reached the door and darted out too. "Holtzy," she grumbled under her breath.

**Author's Note:**

> 2 in one day! Still 4 more to go this weekend and then I can reward myself with some yatesbert. :) Feel free to find me on Tumblr at user id: amtrak12


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